Worsfold decides to stay true Blue

Worsfold said the Fremantle offer was ``not really" tempting - having had talks with the club earlier in the week - and that his ``best option" in terms of securing a coaching future was to remain at Carlton as an assistant.

This week the Dockers announced that former captain Ben Allan had accepted the role as caretaker coach until the end of the season. In the meantime, the club will seek the services of an experienced coach for the 2002 season.

The former West Coast player - contracted to Carlton until the end of next year - said the interest from the Dockers had given him confidence, but said he still had much to learn in his coaching apprenticeship.

``You've got to portray to them that you're ready and able, capable, to do the job for them, so it does (give you confidence) when they seriously consider you, but by the same token Fremantle weren't prepared to offer any guarantees after that either, so I've still got a fair way to go to prove to clubs that I can do the job," said Worsfold. ``I certainly gave it serious consideration in talking to Fremantle and seeing what they were looking for but in the end my best option by far was staying with Carlton."

Worsfold (left) said the discussions had not proved a distraction ahead of this week's Carlton-West Coast match, having made his decision to reject the Dockers on Monday.

He said with Fremantle's now well-publicised desire to hire an experienced coach, he did not expect them to chase his services again. When Worsfold does make a move to senior coaching - as he hopes to do - he said it would not matter where the position was. ``If (Fremantle) can't secure a senior coach obviously then they have to start looking at less experienced coaches and I may fall into that category for them. It's really not going to be in my thoughts until well and truly the Carlton Football Club's season is finished," said Worsfold.

SPECULATION linking Terry Wallace to the Fremantle coaching job prompted him to ring the Western Bulldogs' senior players to assure them he was committed to the club, AAP reports.

Concerned his players could take earlier comments by him as an indication he was ready to go west, Wallace rang his top players to clear the air.

``He actually rang me yesterday - he didn't have to - out of courtesy just to say where he stood with it all," midfielder Scott West said. ``He is very much committed to the Bulldogs."